Fire-starting device



' m; @Mig-g N.A 752,338. l Y PATENTD FEB. 16,1904. 'J. A. GEORGE 61. F, C. DOHRMANN.

wlTNEsSEs:

drawings, in which- JOSEPH A. GEORGE AND FRANK C.

Patented February 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

DOHEMANN, OE BROOKLYN HiLLs,

NEW YORK.

Fles-STARTING. Device.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNO. 752,338, dated February 16, 1904:. Y. i.

.Application led October 20, 1903. Serial No. 177,816. v (No model.) I

To @ZZ whom. `it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH A. GEORGE and FRANK O. DOHRMANN, citizens of the UnitedY proved Fire-Starting Device, of which the fol-v` lowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to a device for lighting the fires of engines, being more particularly intended to be applied to 'steam fire-engines, where the early starting of the fire is very often of vital importance.

To enable others to understand our invention, reference is had to the accompanying Figure 1 represents a side elevation of our device. Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of the caseand head of the cartridge-holder firing-bolt therein, showing one end broken to show the trigger-pin. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the cartridge adapted to be lled with gasolene or other highly V- iniiammable substance easily distributed. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the device with the cartridge removed looking in the direction of arrow a, Fig. 1.

Its construction and operation are as follows.

1 represents the handle or ybarrel portion of the device. The cartridge-holder comprises the head 2, with the spring-ngers 3 secured thereto by the screws 4. These fingers are sufficiently flexible to allow them to expand when the glass cartridge 5 is inserted, which is done by pushing in at the ends of the singers in the direction of arrow o., Fig. 1. One of the fingers has the retaining-hook 3a, which will immediately drop down behind the base of the cartridge to prevent its falling out and` also' more particularly to serve as a kicking-post against the blow of the hammer or firing-bolt,

to be hereinafter more fully explained.

The cartridge is filled with gasolene or other highly-inammable substance, and when so filled the cork 6 is inserted.

7 is a shallow metal cup secured to the upper surface of the cork by the screw 8.

9 is an inverted cap Whose open mouth is seated in the recess of the cup 7 firm enough to prevent displacement by ordinary handlingv of the cartridge. This cap is lled with strontium nitrate or other llike slow-burningsubstance, as indicated by 10.-

. 11 isa percussion-shell inserted in a hole in the top of the cap to be struck and explodedl by the firing-bolt.Y 12 is the firing-bolt, adapted -to operate longitudinally in the barrel 1. I r

13 is a push-pin passing through the firing-f bolt and projecting each way through the lon-l gitudinal slots 1EL of the barrel. These slots are long enough to give a free movement tof the pin when the ring-bolt is carried in either.

direction. In the rear end of the firing-bolt is a recess adapted to receive the pin 14 and its spring 15. 16 is a housing secured to the barrel l, and it carries the screw 17, which serves 'the purpose of a trigger.

Operation: When the device is unloaded, the

pin 13 is of course in a forward position at the:

other end of the slot 1 from where it is shown*- in Figs. 1 and 2. To load the device, the 'cartridge-holder engages the pin 13, and su'l'icient pressure is applied thereto to force back the firing-boltv and compress the spring 18'. The cartridge-holder will then be in the position shown in dotted lines atFig. 1. There is a hole in the barrel immediately under the trigger 17, into which the pin 14 is immedi-- ately forced by its spring as soon as the ringbolt is in its extreme 'backward position. f As soon as the ring-bolt islocked the cartridgeholder is moved forward and Vthe cartridge inserted therein with its base bearing against the hook 3 and the cap 9 in such proximity to the end of the barrel 1 that the cartridgeholder `cannot be accidentally moved hack while the device is loaded. Thecartridge end of the device is inserted in the center of the mass of shavings and other kindling material in the fire-box of the engine with the handle portion protruding through the furnacedoor. The instant an alarm of re 'is sounded the engineer jumps upon the footboard of the the screw 17 to depress and release the pin 14.

The firing-bolt is instantly shot forward forcibly against the cap 11, exploding the same, the explosion of which will burst the glass cartridge, the explosive force of the fulminate being sufficient to completely shatter thev glass cartridge and forcibly throw its contents completely through the entire mass of wood, shavings, and other lighting material, and thus permeate every part of the fire-box. The device is then withdrawn for future use and the furnace-door closed.

The fire issuing from the exploded fulminate-cap will not of itself ignite the contents of the glass cartridge, owing either to the great force with which it is expelled or to its volume, or both. Therefore it is necessary to interpose a slow-burning material, such as the strontium nitrate or other like substance, between the glass cartridge and the fulminatecap. In our device this slow-burning material is located within the cavity of the inserted cap 9, and into which material the fulminate-cap projects. When, therefore, the fulminate-cap explodes, it will first set fire to the contents of the cap 9, which contents will then be carried forward to mingle with the iniammable contents of the glass cartridge and ignite the same after the glass cartridge has been shattered and the surrounding space filled with its contents.

Devices for'this purpose have been used before, but they have been made fixtures of the engine and are so arranged that when, the bottle holding the infiammable material is broken its contents will flow into a receptacle below the grate-bars, while the flames issuing from the burning liquid have to pass upward through the grate-bars before they can reach the contents of the re-box. This arrangement besides being slow in its operation is not always sure.

e In our improved device the cartridge, as before mentioned, is located, preferably, in the center of the mass of wood and kindlings in the fire-box,- and when the cartridge is exploded its contents are made to permeate and thoroughly saturate the whole mass of wood and-other kindling material. After the explosion the device, except, of course, the cartridge, is removed out of the way.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rlhe combination, in a fire-igniting device of the character described, of a barrel portion, a firing-bolt operatively located therein, said bolt carrying an automatical locking-pin to engage said barrel, a trigger operatively supported on said barrel to release said lockingpin, a cartridge-holder longitudinally movable on said barrel, a spring for said firing-bolt, a push-pin projecting from said bolt'and extending through longitudinal openings in the barrel, said cartridge-holder adapted to engage said push-pin to carry back and lock the firingbolt, said cartridge-holder having spring-fingers, adapted to hold a glass or other like breakable cartridge, means onsaid fingers to retain the cartridge in place and also'serve as a kicking-post against the blow of the firingbolt, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a fire-igniting device of the character described, of a barrel, a firingbolt therein, a spring to actuate said bolt, said barrel having longitudinal openings, a pushpin projecting from said firing-bolt through said openings, an automatical locking-pin in said firing-bolt, a trigger therefor, a cartridgeholder comprising a head portion adapted to slide on said barrel to engage said push-pin and lock the firing-bolt, means to prevent said cartridge-holder slipping'oif from the barrel when in its forward position, cartridge-holding spring-fingers projecting from said head, means therein to retain a cartridge in operative positionV and also to serve as a kickingpost against the blow of the firing-pin, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a firing-bolt and a cartridge-holder, of a glass or other like breakable cartridge adapted to hold an inammable substance, a 'stopper therefor, a cap holding a low-grade primary firing or igniting material projecting beyond the mouth of said cartridge, a fulminate or other like explosive cap projecting Within the primary igniting material, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combinatiomwith a firing-bolt and a cartridge-holder, of a glassorother like breakl able cartridge adapted to hold an infiammable substance, a receptacle for holding a low-grade primary igniting material projecting beyond the mouth of said cartridge, said receptacle carrying an explosive cap for first igniting said primary igniting material, Vand means for attaching said receptacle to-the cartridge, for the purpose set forth.

5. The herein-described cartridge compris- IOO IOS

ing a glass or other like breakable body adapti ed to contain an inflammable material, a twopart receptacle forl holding a low-grade primary igniting material, said base carrying an explosive cap adapted to first ignite the contents of said receptacle, for the purpose setl forth.

Signed at Richmond Hill, in the county of Queens and State of New York, this 5th day of October, A. D. 1903. f

JOSEPH A. GEORGE. FRANK O. DOHRMANN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. FINN, WM. W. WATERMAN.

ITO 

